The Portland daily press., 1887-02-07

fierce flames were too much for them. ami
they soon realized that If they were to SAVE
Sturtevant they must stop shovelling anC
pull him out. Sturtevant was beginning tc
fapse into unconsci0usness beneath the pair
Of his terrible injuries. They pulled toeeth.
er upon him and az last got him out, but moi
before his legs and body were fearfulk
burned. the clothes dropping off of him. His
ribs and thigh bones were broken. He was
laid out upon the ice, and the rescuers hast.
ened to extricate other unfortunates.
They next came to Maria Sadler of Orms-
town. p. Q. She was pinned down by the
legs by heavy broken timberS, and was una
BILE to move. She had given up all hopes OF
life when the rescuers. came to her. She
stopped them with her ne frantic and despair
and pulled with all their strength. At last
they got her free, but they broke her ankle
in doing So Nevertheless, she thinks that
she was fortunate to escape so luckily.t
Before leaving the cab, the engineer met
Brakeman George Parker, who had saved
his life by jumping off the car just before il
went over the bridge. Parker was almost in
sane with excitement. The engineer told
him to run to the farm houses in the vicinity
as fast as he could and give the alarm. This
he did, and then came to this place and an
nounced the disaster. A party was at once
reached this place about 3 o'clock in the
morning. Long before he reached here,
however. the burning cars had set fire to the
wooden bridge above, and in few minutes
it was in flames. Engineer Pierce and his
fireman saw this new danger to the passen-
gers who were pinned in the ruins below
the bridge They sought to stop the prog
ress of the flames on the bridge by shoveling
snow upon the places where 1t where il was
burning, realizing that If it was allowed to
burn the charred timbers would fall upon
the sufferers below. They stopped their
work of rescue to do this
Sees His Father Burn to Death.
One of the first of the passengers to escape
from the burning wreckage was Joseph Mai
greet a French Canadian boy living in Shae-
wigan, Canada. He was with his father,
David, on their way from Hoiyoke to their
home. The boy sat three seats behind his
father, in the third car from the rear. He
was doing in his seat when he felt the car
shiver. This motion was kept up for a few
seconds. Joseph realized that an accident
was about to happen, and he got ready to
do SO, however, the car in which he sat DASH
ed over the bridge upon the ice. For a mo-
ment or two hs was stunned by the fearful
fall, but he quickly came to his senses and
endeayored to make his escape. By dint Of
hard work the boy succeeded in getting out
OF one of the car windows, which still held
its shape. Joseph at once went in search Of
his father, and discovered him by the light of
the burning wreckage just above him, pinned
down by part of the top of the car which
had fallen directly across his chest and legs
The old man was as firmly held as if in a
y1se. Joseph, who was the only one who es-
capped from the car, as he says, rushed to his
fathers assistance, and spoke words of en-
c0uragement to him. The father was very
cool under the circumstances, and told his
son to help him out as soon as possible. The
boy seized his father and struggled with all
his strength to extricate him, but in vain.
The flames were approaching rapidly and
every moment was valuable.
Joseph" said the father, ''run and get an
axe or a saw" but the boy could not find
either.
Pull me out them" said the father, ''eyen
II you have to break my legs to do So" Jo-
seph tugged away with all his might, but he
could not stir his father an inch. The flames
both of them. With wonderful GOODNESS the
father gave himself up to his fate.
Its no use, my boy" he said. There is
no hope for me; leave me and save yourself;
but remember the dying words Of your poor
father: Always be a good boy. Farewell,
my son, | will meet you in the other world"
Then the old man lay back to await his
death, which was near at hand. but the boy
burst into tears. "Oh, father, father" was
all he could say. The old man still kept
cool, as one might judge from what followed.
He struggled for minute and got his hand
into his pocket. He felt around awhile, and
then pulled out his railroad ticket, his pock-
ct book and his spectacles. These he gave
to the weeping boy, who was perched upon
the broken timber near him, shrouded in
smoke.
Take these, my son." said he. Good
by, good-by."
The flames were then so near at hand that
the boy could remain no longer. Already
they were upon him. He made one last des-
perate effort to free his father, but he could
not stir him. The fire burned his hands,
and the smoke choked him, so he was forced
TO letvgo. He left his father and got out of
reach of the flames and then watched his
parent slowly burned to death in the flaming
debris